Customer Reviews

Boomerang (Fox Film Noir)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Update!! It's in stock and for sale at Amazon Canada at CDN $16.99. Maybe Amazon U.S. can't get this disk. (limited release?)

(I have tried to ask customer service twice why this DVD is not listed. It is listed on Amazon Canada as a pre-order.) This DVD was released once before but it was withdrawn from sale soon after. It is based on a true story-a drifter(who is not guilty)is arrested and charged with the murder of a respected citizen in a small town. This nightmarish scenario is handled wonderfully well in a semi-documentary style by the director Elia Kazan. Dana Andrews gives another excellent noir performance.

Dana Andrews had just appeared in the acclaimed Best Days of Our Lives, when Director Elia Kazan lured him to do this film. It is a fine piece of work as Dana Andrews plays a moral man in a political and moral quagmire of an ordinary American town. The documentary style was often repeated, but Kazan got it right first time.

It is a feast of fine acting with the camera moving from one small story to another. There are so many good actors in this film, but Lee J. Cobb delivers the best as the old time police officer.

This film was made just before the HUAC investigation of Hollywood which drove out social criticism of American life. It is an example of where Hollywood was going before the investigation strangled the life from Hollywood. The Best Days of Our Lives was another example of this type of film. It is direct and honest.

The choice of ending where it is not made clear about the killer makes it all the more interesting. I have no idea why this film is not readily available on video. It is a small gem that repays viewing after viewing.

Elia Kazan's third directing effort was "Boomerang!" - a solid murder drama that explores the sometimes polluting effect that politics exerts on the legal system. In a small town, a beloved pastor is murdered in the street, shocking the local residents. Dana Andrews plays the prosecuting lawyer trying the case: clearly the biggest assignment of his career. A shifty ex-serviceman (the talented Arthur Kennedy) is indicted and appears unquestionably guilty. But is he? Everyone involved in the case seems to have an ulterior motive, and Andrews' character is determined to see justice prevail. The Oscar-nominated story was inspired by a true case; Andrews portrays Homer S. Cummings, who later became U.S. Attorney General in the FRD administration.

Despite being a satisfying crime drama, "Boomerang!" is a relatively neglected film, especially among Kazan's outstanding canon. Why has it been ignored? All aspects of the film essentially are good to very good, including the acting and direction. Perhaps the film has been hurt by its matter-of-fact tone and slow-building plot; indeed, the film may a bit uninvolving for some audiences, at least until an undeniably thrilling final court scene. In addition, the stars (Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb) are not marquee names; however, given its true life origins and the semi-documentary style, the movie actually benefits from a lack of star power. Finally, Kazan's other film that year also overshadowed "Boomerang!" - the multiple Oscar winner, "Gentleman's Agreement."

Overall, "Boomerang!" is an enjoyable foray into 1940s crime dramas that is well worth a look. Hopefully it will be released soon on DVD, allowing a larger audience to find this film.

This is a absolute manipulative movie. Manipulative in the good sense as it keeps you spellbound throughout, and has you wondering whodunit? It also does a very splendid rendition by Dana Andrews as the attorney who honors and respects justice and fair play, and not getting their man/woman. Probably something wasn't thought too much of back in 1947 a prosecuter who ends up defending a man accussed of murder. A forerunning plot that still doesn't see too much of the light of day now.

Boomerang, 1947 film

A popular minister goes for an after dinner stroll on Main Street on a winter evening. He stops, and a man comes out of an alley and shoots him in the back, then runs away. All we see is his dark coat and light hat, just like the witnesses. The police find many suspects who are brought in but none are identified. Finally they find one man who is identified by the minister's housekeeper. He argued with the minister that day, and has a .32 revolver that is identified as the murder weapon! The police question the suspect for days until he is ready to sign a confession to get some sleep. No third degree methods used. The case goes to trial.

Can the owner of a newspaper manipulate the news to favor his political party? Can an alienist (psychiatrist) work to convict a suspect? The State's Attorney investigated the crime and the eyewitnesses. Independent ballistic experts said the bullet did not come from the defendant's gun. The eyewitnesses are recalled and their statements are shown to be inconsistent. The recreation of the crime at night revealed the problems. Can a spurned woman concoct testimony to incriminate a former boyfriend and collect a huge reward? The high point of this courtroom drama is when they reveal a flaw in the defendant's weapon! "Is one man's life worth more than the community?" Yes, a man's life is real, the "community" is an idea.

Interwoven with this story is another man from the community who was threatened by the minister for his behavior. [This could not be specifically mentioned.] He is the same size as the defendant and also owns a .32 revolver. The dark coat and light hat was very common then. Afterwards this man flees when not pursued, a Higher Authority passes judgment. This film is set in modern times (1947) but the background suggests it occurred in the1920s after the Great War. [The right to keep and bear arms was recognized then.]

This dramatic story provides an example for the US Supreme Court ruling that bans questioning suspects without their attorney present. It is a case study of police methods used for solving some crimes. This dramatic film is based on a true story printed in the `Reader's Digest'. Before the reactionary politics of the late 1940s RD had a liberal populist orientation in many of its articles. The State's Attorney was Homer S. Cummings, who later became the longest serving US Attorney General of the 20th century. Cummings was also the Mayor of Stamford where this was filmed. Colt Arms was in Bridgeport. Was the defective revolver made by a competitor? One reason they no longer offer rewards for suspects is to avoid the invention of stories to gain a reward.
The actual events were not as dramatic as the details in the courtroom. For the facts about this case refer to Francis Russell's "Tragedy in Dedham" on pages 249-251.

Boomerang (1947), #16 in the Fox Film Noir series, originally issued 6/06 was recalled and then reissued 9/08 (both at $14.95 list). Careful comparison of the 6/06 and 9/08 issues reveals absolutely no difference, suggesting that the recall was for copyright/legal reasons rather than technical ones. The paper cover, 4-page booklet, and DVD label artwork are identical. The 9/08 reissue bears a 2006 copyright on the cover and DVD label and came with a brochure for Fox Noirs #1-18, #17-18 also issued in 6/06. The DVD contents of both issues are identical, the movie having 24 scenes and TT87:56. Most curious is the apparently defective TT2:29 trailer that is totally devoid of text and voice-over (narration), has only music for the first 54 and last 39 seconds, and has dialog sans music in between. The identical trailer appears on Fox Noirs #17, 19-21. It seems that all Fox has done for the 9/08 issue is liberate 2006-made DVDs from its warehouse.

With torture and forced confessions currently in the news, this talky film noir is more relevant now than when it first came out in 1947. Here, an innocent man is railroaded by the legal establishment bent on "solving" a high-profile, politically volatile case. For two days, the man is interrogated while deprived of sleep and food, until finally he cracks and confesses, telling his captors what they want to hear. Dana Andrews, as the earnest, honest District Attorney smells something fishy and works to find out what really happened... But *did* the accused man really do it? As Andrews tries to discover the truth, he is pressured from all sides, and becomes aware of the political corruption that suffuses his town.

Elia Kazan directs an all-star cast (Ed Begley, Lee J. Cobb, Dana Andrews, Karl Malden, Jane Wyatt and numerous character actors). The pacing is slow, and the script is heavy on exposition, but when the heat and pressure increase, the scum rises to the top and the film starts to sizzle. Worth checking out, especially since the issues remain so timely. (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film reviews)

Good news: this title is being rereleased in September 2008! A truly apt title indeed. Edited to add: One week from release and this title is still listed only at Amazon.ca. They do ship to the US though...

We'll finally be be able to fill that annoying hole in the Fox Film Noir series on our shelves.

As I recall this is a very good title, in the upper-tier of films noirs, but not quite into the top-tier (like Woman in the Window, Double Indemnity or Night and the City). It's been quite some time since I saw it (on TvOntario Saturday Night I seem to dimly recall or perhaps PBS), but my usually reliable memory indicates this should be a most enjoyable re-viewing.

The previous crop of Fox Film Noir was not the most substantial of the series (Black Widow is somewhat entertaining a times, but not really noir and rather slight). The 3 titles scheduled for early September mark a clear increase in terms of quality and pertinence.

Now if only Fox would finally reissue Lang's Manhunt, which they've been labelling as Coming Soon for ages.

BOO AMAZON. BOOMERANG has officially been released by Fox and is reasonably priced. Why doesn't Amazon offer it rather then let crooked price gougers offer it at $40.00 and more. Get with it Amazon...this title was released along with MOONTIDE & ROAD HOUSE...BOTH OF THESE YOU OFFER.

I bought this disc hoping that the film would be a true Film- Noir. It is not. It is an acceptable courtroom drama of the early fifties but it has few Noir elements to make it appeal to a modern viewer. It seems rather simplistic for an Elia Kazan film. Those looking for a Kazan Noir should check out "Panic in the Streets" with its beautiful photography and Jack Palance's raw energy, or "On the Waterfront" with Brando and Steiger and Cobb showing what acting is all about.
A better Dana Andrews film for Noir fans would be Otto Preminger's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" in which Dana Andrews plays a violent cop who goes a bit too far and kills a suspect. His efforts to conceal his crime make for a film with much dark appeal. While the film is rather brightly lit for a Noir, the mood is quite dark.